This is an English name of late medieval habitational origins, but considerably rarer than may be thought, in fact it does not appear at all in recent examples of (for instance) the London Directories. The name appears to translate as "one who dwelt at Ann's Cottage" and whilst this may be correct, there is no evidence of any such place in the modern spelling. However, a study of associated name spellings suggests that Anscott could be a variant form of the Shropshire "Annscroft" or more likely the Lancashire "Ainscough or Aynscough", a now lost village but known in medieval times. The spellings of this name are now wide and varied and include Ainscouth, Anscow, Ansco, Ansko and Ainscott. Hugh Ainscow was recorded at Winwick, Lancashire in 1575, whilst in 1763 Ralph Ainscott was recorded as christened at Liverpool Cathedral. Examples of the name spelling as Anscott are very rare, although one such is Jane Anscott of Stepney, London who was married at the famous church of St. Dunstans in the East, on November 21st 1810, during the Napoleonic War of 1794 - 1815. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomazine Anscott, which was dated November 13th 1616, married Richard Lane, at St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, during the reign of King James 1, of England and V1 of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.